Parents’ Selection Affects Embryo Rescue, Seed Regeneration and the Heredity of Seedless Trait in Table Grape Breeding Programs

Damiano Puglisi, Giuseppina Las Casas, Filippo Ferlito, Elisabetta Nicolosi, Mario Di Guardo, Francesco Scollo, Giuseppe Saitta, Stefano La Malfa, Alessandra Gentile and Gaetano Distefano
Additional contact information
Damiano Puglisi: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Via Valdisavoia 5, 95123 Catania, Italy
Giuseppina Las Casas: CREA, Research Centre for Olive, Fruit and Citrus Crops, Corso Savoia 190, 95024 Acireale, Italy
Filippo Ferlito: CREA, Research Centre for Olive, Fruit and Citrus Crops, Corso Savoia 190, 95024 Acireale, Italy
Elisabetta Nicolosi: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Via Valdisavoia 5, 95123 Catania, Italy
Mario Di Guardo: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Via Valdisavoia 5, 95123 Catania, Italy
Francesco Scollo: AgriUniTech, University of Catania, Via Valdisavoia 5, 95123 Catania, Italy
Giuseppe Saitta: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Via Valdisavoia 5, 95123 Catania, Italy
Stefano La Malfa: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Via Valdisavoia 5, 95123 Catania, Italy
Alessandra Gentile: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Via Valdisavoia 5, 95123 Catania, Italy
Gaetano Distefano: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Via Valdisavoia 5, 95123 Catania, Italy

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 12, issue 8, 1-12

Abstract: The development of new seedless cultivar represents one of the most important goals in table grape breeding programmes worldwide. The most common technique to obtain new seedless cultivars is embryo rescue, an approach that allows the isolation of immature embryos and their cultivation in vitro. In this study, a total of 23 crosses (developed employing one seeded and one seedless parent) were performed during two seasons (2017 and 2018) for a total of 1140 seedlings. For each cross, the principal parameters related to the efficiency of the pollination were measured (harvested bunches, collected berries, recovered embryos/seeds and plants obtained). Based on these traits, statistical analyses were performed to calculate the female and male parental efficiency and to compare the two techniques of propagation employed: embryo rescue (7.8% of plants obtained) and gamic propagation (8.4%). Finally, the segregation of the SSR marker p3_VvAGL11 was evaluated on the progeny of four crosses in which the same cultivar was used alternately as female or male parent (SugxIta/ItaxSug and CrixIta/ItaxCri). The parameters measured showed a positive correlation between berries, seeds and plants obtained, exclusively in combination with a seeded female parent. The crossing combinations investigated indicate that some genotypes outperformed others when used as female parent in terms of embryos/seeds produced. Therefore, the efficiency in terms of seedlings obtained for the seedless female parents is actually balanced with those obtained for the seeded ones. The proposed research aims to provide useful information to guide the choice of genotypes used in the genetic improvement programs of seedless grapes, to increase their efficiency.

Keywords: seedlessness; parental efficiency; cross combination; stenospermocarpy; p3_VvAGL11 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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